


so pray to god for a lil' more spring

by eternalsession



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, High School AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-11-30 03:59:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11455518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternalsession/pseuds/eternalsession
Summary: She smelled of maple leaves and cinnamon. Her voice was the autumn breeze, cold enough to bite, but a welcome change. Her touch felt like putting on a sweater, sitting near a fireplace. Her eyes were radiant, and they were brilliant, an unbreakable emerald whose shine challenged the very sun.He smelled of cherry blossoms in bloom and mint. His voice was the spring breeze, banishing the cold winter wind, but not hot enough to burn. His touch felt like the feeling of the wind on her skin, like taking a swim in a small lake. His eyes were filled with determination and ambition, a perfect sapphire.





	1. embrace

Senior year of high school. Most, if not everyone, had chosen something to do after graduation. Ruby wanted to become a police officer (She got accepted into the same college as Nora on a full ride scholarship for track and field), Yang decided she wanted to travel the world, Blake was going to return home and go to a local college, and Weiss had a company to run. Sun had never given up on Blake, and decided he was going with her. Blake didn’t object (she never did, at least, not with Sun) but didn’t express any interest. Ren had plans to become a teacher of martial arts, and chose an appropriate college for teaching, though ultimately acquiesced to Nora’s choice (read: full ride scholarship for women’s volleyball, also Ruby was there). Pyrrha had the makings of a true professional, and since she joined their high school volleyball team, she’d been pushed by the coaches and even Principal Ozpin to go professional. She could have chosen to go to a much more prestigious school, and with a full ride as well, but chose to attend the same school as Nora, Ruby, and Ren, as she’d formed a special connection with Nora due to being revered as the “aces of Beacon Academy”. She knew that her initial choice of college wouldn’t be so important as to hamper her chances of becoming pro. In the worst-case scenario, all of her teammates save for Nora were bad (she could attest to Nora’s skill personally and unbiased), and she stood out more so because of it.

                Jaune, however, had no such plans. He’d built himself out of nothing, thanks to the help of his long-time crush, Pyrrha Nikos, and his best friends in the rest of team JNPR, and his fellow team leader, Ruby Rose (Nora had decided on becoming a team for reasons unknown to him, and for some reason, let Jaune be in charge of it; more to his surprise, was Ren and Pyrrha's decision to let him be the leader despite not having the best grades and only making second string of the volleyball team 3 years in a row). He couldn’t count the number of times he confided in her, and vice versa. They shared a very intimate connection, but not one he could properly form into words. He’d been so close to her that she invited him on their family summer vacation. What wasn’t exactly so inviting was Yang’s death glare when he showed up at the Xiao-Long household. Apparently, Ruby didn’t tell Yang, but told her dad. Yang had suspected him of being her boyfriend the whole time, which made the whole experience a mite less enjoyable. Only a mite though. Despite everything, he was glad to have a best friend in Ruby Rose. She was there for everything. When she told him she got a full ride scholarship to the same school as the rest of his team, he immediately went to go congratulate her in person. Likewise, whenever he told her good news, she would find some way to meet him in person, even if it meant hoofing it. Ruby was the most supportive friend he’d ever had. She'd often joined the unofficial team JNPR on outings such as mall dates, camping, or just hanging out at either of the boys' or girls' dorms, to the point that Nora made her an honorary member (even though Jaune was their leader, Nora did pretty much whatever she wanted; Jaune didn't mind either way, though wondered why the three of them collectively elected him).  

                Here, today, he was planning on talking to Pyrrha about what to do in the future. He'd discussed it with Ruby plenty of times, and so, had a pretty good idea of what he would do with his life. He hated the idea of being away from his friends, it put his stomach in knots to think that he'd spend months at a time away from his best friends, and his fear of losing what was close to him had developed into an anxiety that tormented him. He made his way to his favorite botanical garden, and heaved a deep sigh. It was stressful, but his time spent training with Ren (he swore up and down that Ren had to have been Gautama himself in a past life or something; Ren always laughed it off) helped him develop ways to handle his stress. He pulled out his Peach Phone and opened his Messenger app, then tapped on the familiar name. Their last conversation had been some silly discussion on what Peach's brand would be in an alternate universe (Pyrrha said it'd totally be Apple, but Jaune insisted Pear would be better, "Apple Phone doesn't flow as well as Pear Phone"), and he laughed at how he could share such a trivial conversation with someone that wasn't Ruby. 

Jaune Arc – Today at 7:50 PM  
hey  
pyr  
im gonna gps you a location rq, can you meet me there in 20?

P-Money – Today at 7:50 PM  
Alright!

                An immediate response. She’d probably show up early. It was a place he’d always gone to with Ruby whenever he was feeling down. It was by no means his “secret” or “special” place, but it was his “important” place. He’d shared many fond memories of getting things off his chest with his best friend here, and now he was using it to finally confess. A few things, in fact.

                The place itself was a garden, filled with flowers of various species. There was no pavement, but the flowers parted in a way that presented the path to itself, and the walkways were of flagstone. There were 8 entrances to the garden from all sides, and they conjoined in a circle. Inside of that circle was another circle, with arches on four sides in cardinal directions to indicate where to enter from. The arches were littered in flowers, and passing through them felt as if walking into a pocket dimension. Inside the second and final circle lied a large fountain, lit up by LED lights that glowed each color of the rainbow on a fixed timer, and flowers more vibrant that pictures or words could do justice. Finally, four trees rested in ordinal directions, to provide ample shade, but still allowed sun to filter in. There was a bench placed under each of the trees, and flowers covered the outer rim of the circle. Now was the perfect time to visit. No one would be here on a Thursday evening, and he… had a lot to talk about.

                She received a buzz from Jaune Arc. Well, it wasn't as if it were uncommon; but it was uncommon for him to invite her to a place she hadn't been before. She'd be skeptical of the request were it anyone else, but Jaune was pure of heart. He'd demonstrated during freshman year that he'd risk expulsion over endangering his friends, so it wouldn't be a trap of any kind. It was still odd, however, but she shrugged it off as she sent a response to him. She'd already been out for a light jog to take her mind off of some things weighing on her mind, and right now, seeing Jaune would set her mind at ease. She worried she may have jumped at the offer, but wouldn't have minded if he'd noticed. She pulled around to the entrance to a botanical garden, just as the sun set. She hoped it wouldn't take too long—summer nights tended to run colder. She shrugged and pulled out her Pear Phone. 

Pyrrha Nikos – Today at 7:11  
I’m here. Where are you?

LL Cool J(aune) – Today at 7:12  
you really are always punctual

                Without so much as another word, and ignoring the buzz he heard in his pocket (knowing it was probably something along the lines of ‘Jaune what the hell, answer the question, also I hate you’—well, that was probably an exaggeration), he circled around the sun-shaped garden until he could make out Pyrrha’s figure. When she caught sight of him, she rushed a couple of steps by his side. In the sweltering summer heat, neither of the two were dressed one would expect them to dress for a date—though Jaune didn’t call it out as one, and made it a point to do so when he was asking her out. Jaune wore black gym shorts, and a navy-blue tank with his family crest emblazoned on it, coupled with sliders, and the necklace Pyrrha had bought for him last Christmas, his most treasured item. Pyrrha had arrived in her dark red volleyball shorts, yellow converse with no show socks, and a short sleeve t-shirt with Pumpkin Pete on it. Jaune bought it for her on a whim when he caught her mumbling something about wanting to match with him. Whether it meant more for him to match with his crush and best friend or to have another person to share the cute goodness of Pumpkin Pete with was a mystery that eluded him to this day. Her hair was pulled in a low ponytail and draped over one side, and she wore a hair band clip that he had made for her with her family crest on it. He thought about getting one with his own family crest on it, but felt it would be too on-the-nose. But he would sure love to see her with something of his on. They exchanged greetings, and then Jaune gestured his head “follow me,” to which Pyrrha obliged.

“There’s something I want to show you, just ahead.” He wanted to keep it a secret, but felt it would be better if she wasn’t feeling in the dark. She nodded and simply followed him. While the place was far from a maze, he felt she could get lost if she lost sight of him, or if she were here on her own. Jaune looked back and smiled, then offered his hand. She wordlessly took it (was her face getting red, or was that his imagination?), and they walked hand in hand in silence. After what could have been anywhere from five to ten minutes, they reached the innermost circle. The giant arches were the gateway to a place Jaune had lead her by hand, and she was expecting quite a big deal.

                And Jaune did not disappoint.

“I found this place while I was with Ruby, moping about…,” he paused, remembering that it was about some boy that had gotten close to her during junior year.  He felt his face heat up and hoped it wasn’t obvious. “Well, that’s not important. I have a lot of fond memories of this place. It’s the best place to let some steam off.” He gave a heartfelt smile, and led her to one of the benches (her heart fluttered whenever he made that face), then took a seat, releasing her hand. He then chuckled quietly and said “Or, if you want to take a nap, you can use my lap as a pillow.” He took a moment to think about how much more self-confident he’d really become, thanks to the redhead sitting at his side. Another thing to add to the list of reasons why Pyrrha Nikos was amazing and why falling in love with a girl like her was so hard.

“I’ll have to take you up on that offer some other time, playboy.” She retorted, and couldn't help a playful grin form on her face. “So, what’s up? Why did you call me out here? If you just wanted to hold my hand, you could have asked.”

“Pfft, as if. If I just wanted to hold your hand I would have just held it,” he countered (did he see red on her cheeks, or were his eyes playing tricks on him?). They sat in silence, which he interpreted as her waiting for him to speak, which he did after he felt composed enough to do so.

“I’m at a crossroads, Pyrrha. I don’t know what to do. I’m lost. I want to stay with you… and of course with Ren and Nora, but I don’t want to go to college. There’s no place for me there.”

The redhead pondered for a moment. “Is there anything you want to do?”

He shook his head. “I want to stay with you,” he said, pausing for a long moment, forgetting who he was talking to. “And, of course, Ren and Nora.”

If she noticed the meaning of his long pause, she made no mention of it. She nodded to herself twice, then came out. “I was planning on living in an apartment for my college years. I was going to ask Ruby to stay with me, but… do you want to take her place?”

The blonde gasped quietly, then fell silent. “Are… you sure that’s a good idea? You don’t know anything about how I live… and plus, I’m a guy, and— “

She pressed a finger to his lips. “I’m sure Ren can tell me all about it. And, sure, that could be a problem, but you’re my best friend. I trust you. If anyone else called me out to some strange location when the sun had already set I would have instantly declined.”

                And, for the first time that night, Jaune Arc’s mind was blown. She had just said something so incredible that all he could think was “This girl is amazing.” He felt his face heating up, but a couple of mental words of encouragement calmed him down.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ll think about it, and I appreciate the offer. Well, for now, consider it ‘not an indefinite no’.” The following chuckle that he forced out of his throat was hollow, as if trying to lighten the mood he created (he wondered if the expression on her face was a sign that she could see right through him). There was a long pause between them, as Jaune thought about what to say, and Pyrrha simply waited. She knew all about what he wanted to hear, what was comforting, and how to help. She’d dealt with him and his insane anxiety (she’d supposed the guilt from submitting a fake transcript was a large contributor, but she didn’t understand why he’d follow through with such a silly idea if he knew he’d feel guilty… and regardless, he was a good enough student, and the pace at which he learned was amazing…) for the past three years, after all. A small smile crept it's way across her lips, as she broke the silence.

“Do you remember the first time you came to talk to me, Jaune?”

“No, I d—“ he started, as memories flooded back to him. His face flushed red, embarrassed by his previous actions, before he palmed it. “I called out to you like a hooligan.” The girl beside him giggled.

“I’m not sure hooligan is the right word but…that’s why I am where I am today, Jaune. You were some simple, silly boy who wanted to grab the attention of a girl who saw in you nothing. You wanted to make people see that you had something, to force them to change their minds.” She paused for a moment, then smiled (his heart had to have skipped at least a whole measure). “I’m glad you gave up on Weiss, though. That kind of personality is no good for you.”

“She's not so bad, but I don't think I could keep up with her attitude, no. Besides, I was a freshman. I didn’t know anything about girls, let alone what was good for me. I just wanted Weiss because she seemed like the hardest to change her mind about me, and even then I wasn't even thinking about that, I just thought she was pretty. Well, that is the reason I talked to you as well," he added quietly (did he see hints of red hit the tips of her ears?). "And I couldn’t count the number of times you saved me from my dumb antics.” He smiled warmly, glad to have such a person around. She punched his arm playfully (she had hit him hard enough to make him topple but he didn’t budge; the fruits of their training) and then laughed.

“No, seriously, you almost downed four cups of Nora’s punch before I stopped you! And that time you tried to dive off the 15 feet board despite explicitly telling me you couldn’t swim, or…” She trailed off, laughing and remembering everything they had been through together. If now was the time to realize she was the one, this was it, thought Jaune. Though, what kind of terrible protagonist takes until the end of his senior year to ask out his crush of three years? Still, seeing her laugh made it all worth it.

“Is there something on my face?”

“Your smile.” He retorted in his head, quickly and quietly. “And don’t forget that one time where Nora and I decided that playing baseball outside of Oobleck’s classroom was a good idea,” he laughed, remembering the good times shared with the ball of energy known as Nora Valkyrie. For some reason, Pyrrha’s face was bright red. He pressed a hand to her forehead to test her temperature. “You’re not sick, are you?”

                The emerald-eyed beauty blinked a couple of times before realizing Jaune had not intended to say what he thought out loud, and calmed herself. “Just peachy. But it goes without saying that you’ve covered for me almost as many times.”

“Well, I don’t think that’s quite tr—“

“Remember when I got admitted to the hospital due to a damaged tendon and a broken bone in my leg from volleyball?”

Jaune grimaced. “They said you might never walk again, let alone play volleyball. It was like Hell for me. I think I sprouted a few gray hairs…”

She couldn't voice how glad it made her that the boy of her dreams cared enough to spout gray hairs over her. “You were there every time I woke from a nightmare. I couldn’t stop thinking about the way everything had happened, and you were always holding my hand.” To iterate her point, she rested her hand on top of his. “No one stayed like you did. It made me feel like no one cared as much.”

Jaune’s heart skipped a beat, when she layered her hand on his (as much as he'd built up his confidence, he could only handle so much physical contact with her before he overheated), and then another when he found out she knew that he'd been holding her hand at the hospital. “I didn’t think you knew about that… Besides, Ren and Nora showed up pretty frequently, as well. I was the only one without extracurricular, so of course I was there the most frequently.” He tried to make it sound like it was nothing. He tried to hide everything about how all of his feelings swirled and mixed over the course of that week. He was unsuccessful, judging by the warm squeeze he felt on his hand. It kept him grounded, and he was beginning to lose it.

“That is true, I do remember seeing a lot more of Ren and Nora… You’re right, Jaune. Thank you. Of course, I’m surrounded by friends who love and support me. It was just—“

“—the anxiety talking.” Jaune finished her sentence. “It talks to me all the time. If I’m going to speak, at least let them be my own words.” He sounded choked. A warm squeeze again. He was back on earth, though he’d never left reality. “Pyrrha, what are you trying to say?”

“Nothing. I just thought you might want to hear something good.” She smiled innocently. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “Maybe this is how Leonardo Da Vinci felt about the Mona Lisa,” he mused.

“Yeah, that was something good. I appreciated it.” He responded, then turned his hand so he could lace his fingers in-between hers. Her face lit up, before he said “If I lose it, bring me back”

                It was a simple command, but it was heavy with trust for her. Whatever he had to say was clearly weighing heavy on his mind, enough to make his anxieties flip out, and out of his control. She gulped and prepared for the worst.

“I was thinking about joining the military.” Something about the way it came out of his throat felt forced. She thought that he had admitted this to himself for the first time aloud. “It’s the only thing I want to do, but I couldn’t stand being away from you and the rest.”

“I’ll always be here, Jaune. So will Ren, and so will Nora. You can have time to spend with us once you come home.” She comforted him with a squeeze. His eyes widened, before he blinked a couple of times, then sighed.

“You’re right. But wouldn’t it be hard on you? There’s the danger of not knowing if I’ve returned safely from war, and—“

“That’s no different from now. You have no clue that the next time I get in my car to go home I won’t meet some drunk and he’ll total the car and kill both of us. Just living is enough reason for you to die in a freak accident. We’re not in danger, and we’re not at war, but we’re not completely safe. You should know that,” she scolded. Their eyes locked. Cerulean irises collided with hard emerald.

“I’m not sure if it’s the right choice, though, Pyrrha.” He said, after heaving in a deep breath.

“I’m not quite following. What better calling is there to serving and fighting for your country?”

“I don’t want to lose you!” He retaliated instantly. “If something happened to y’all—you all—while I was away, I would never forgive myself.”

                A squeeze.

“It would set my mind at ease, knowing you wouldn’t run off to battle and get yourself killed in the process. I want to be with you too; I’m sure the rest of them feel the same. But most importantly, we want you to be happy.” Her voice had a twinge of sadness in it. Silence ensued. Jaune didn’t have to words to say.

                A squeeze.

Maybe it wasn’t that he didn’t have the words. He knew the words. He’d rehearsed them dozens of times, confessing to Ren over and over and over again. He knew everything he wanted. He wanted Pyrrha Nikos, and he didn’t want to share. But did that count as a future plan? Get married to her and then what? How would he support them? 

                A squeeze.

His breathing became heavy. Wasn’t it irrational? He couldn’t claim a whole person to himself. She was everyone’s Pyrrha Nikos. But that didn’t matter to him. That girl who just wanted someone to notice “Pyrrha Nikos” and not “The school’s idol”. That stupid girl who’d spent so long with someone as incompetent as Jaune Arc, all because of some silly misunderstanding—

                A squeeze.

Pyrrha Nikos returned to his line of sight. Hot water slid down his cheeks as he realized what it meant. A warm hand wiped the water from his face, but they didn’t stop. Why? He was sobbing and hiccupping, yet he had no clue why.

                A squeeze.

He took a moment to catch his breath. Once he stopped sobbing and had regained his composure, he mumbled a “thanks,” to which the girl squeezing his hand simply nodded. It was true that he’d never lost it like that before in front of her, but there wasn’t much to say about an anxiety attack. He was gladder she was there than ever.

                A squeeze. 

He stood up and lead her by the hand to a tree, then gently pushed her against it. He leaned his face closer to hers, and, seeing no resistance, pressed his lips to hers. She leaned into it, and wrapped two arms around his neck. Without her heels on, she had to stand on her toes to reach him. He bridged the gap between them by craning his neck slightly down. When they broke, he rested his forehead on hers. They didn’t say anything for a while, just simply stood connected, understanding the implications. After a while, they spoke, almost inaudible. Neither of them challenged to raise their voices above a whisper.

 

 

“Let’s run away.”

 

“Okay.”

 

 

“You’d run away with me? I didn’t elaborate my plans at all—I’m an emotional wreck right now. We could regret this later.”

She nodded, and fit her face into the crook of his neck. It was like the act itself healed him. “If it were anyone other than you, I’d say no.”

“You still don’t want to know the details?” He mumbled, though she caught it.

“Don’t need ‘em.” She said it in his southern dialect that would slip every so often—his family was a real bunch of farmers. It was a family she much liked; they all treated her as Jaune did, despite hearing all the good things Jaune had inevitably told them. They were the parents she wished she had; they didn't expect anything of her other than to continue to be nice to their son. Jaune had been upset that his parents didn't expect much of him, and took it to think that they didn't believe in his ability, but they simply didn't want to pile his stress on top of him. _Well... he is certainly their son_ , Pyrrha thought. A bunch of ridiculously nice people who couldn't be mean if they tried. How could she not fall in love with him? 

Such a stark contrast from her own home, where expectation on expectation was piled on top of her; "be the number one student in your class," "take all AP classes," "be the best player and captain of the volleyball team," "find a nice man who will elevate you, despite who you may like,"... the list goes on and on. It was probably not meant to be stressful, but visiting Jaune and his family helped her get away from it all. He was the spring breeze, the first breath of air that entered her lungs after a dive. He was a pure cherry blossom in bloom, and he was totally oblivious. He was, she thought—

“—the best thing that has ever happened to me…” she mumbled. She wasn't the only one who could catch mumbles.

“Me, too.” He replied. “I never thought the feeling was mutual. For how long?”

She buried her face deeper into him. “The start.” He winced.

“Sorry about the whole Weiss deal. I’m sure it must have hurt to watch.”

“It’s water under the bridge. I’ll consider that Mona Lisa comment from earlier payback.” She removed her face from his neck and stuck her tongue out in a teasing manner. He gasped.

“No way… I didn’t say something so embarrassing out loud, did I?”

She nodded, then let out a hearty laugh. He hadn’t heard her laugh like that in months. Another tear forced its way out of his eye, and he joined her laughter. He fell to his knees, and she fell with him. He rested his head on the side of her neck, and a mixture of laughter and joyous sobs filled the air. She wiped away his tears again.

“All better?” He nodded, wiping away one of her tears. She’d laughed so hard she was crying.

“You didn’t have to laugh so hard…” he complained, though still chuckling.

“But that reaction was so earnest and cute. I’m sure if you saw my face after you said that you would have tried to take my temperature again, or called me a red rocket, or worse, Ruby Rose,” she giggled, then waved it off. “Where do you want to go?”

“You’re really going to go with me? I don’t have any money, and your college scholarship…”

She nodded. “It’s not like it was my dream to be a pro. It was simply forced onto me by those around me. Those that had high expectations of me. I’m sure it’d be easy to become someone with a big name, and live a comfortable life with the money earned but… I’d much prefer the life of a farmgirl living with her boyfriend’s parents at their farm.”

He shook his head vigorously. “If I let you out into those fields and let you do work like that I’d feel terrible… still… hearing you say something like that…”

                A squeeze.

“Deep breaths, Jaune.”

“What’s the date?”

“It’s August 23rd. What do you need it for?” The redhead replied calmly, as usual.

He stood up abruptly, and slapped the grass off of his shorts, then extended his hand. She took it graciously, and followed suit in patting grass from off of her shorts.

“Pyrrha Nikos. Will you go out with me?”

“Of course. Please continue to stay by my side, as well.”

He pulled her into a hug, and lifted her off the ground in doing so. “I’m going to work this year, like it’s nobody’s business. Well, it’s really my business alone, but that’s beside the point. Go to college. I’ll get accepted into your school, and we can go together. This is my fourth and final year of high school. I can still make it. However high you set your aim, I’ll match it.” He said it so confidently, so naturally. He let her down, then pounded his chest, making an audible thud sound.

She beamed at his confidence, and at the thought of being able to be with him, but not just to be with him. To _be with him_. “Aren’t you the one who called me the school’s idol? Don’t you think you’ll have trouble keeping up?” She eyed him and grinned smugly.

“That’s fine. I had to submit fake transcripts to get accepted into this school, but I’ve grown so much since. From the start, I had to work harder than everyone else to keep up. If I couldn’t stay the course now, I’d scarce be called an Arc.” He bounced a smug grin of his own back.

She walked over to him and took his hand in hers. “Let’s go home. I’m sure you’re tired. Crying always tires me out.” She gestured to his eyes, which were starting to feel very heavy. He yawned.

“Yeah, let’s.” He nodded. “Hey. Let’s go to the beach sometime.” He said. “It’s hot, ain’t it?”

She took note that he let his dialect slip when he was tired, then rested her head in the crook of his shoulder again. She couldn't help but smile. 

“Anywhere, with you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you didn't know, LL cool j stands for ladies love cool james (i really hope ll cool jaune catches on). also, pyrrha has taken very seriously into consideration running away with him as an option.  
> expect more, I'm having fun with this.


	2. smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sound of her laughter was music to his ears. It reminded him of the sweet potato pie his mom had made for him during autumn, and the satisfaction of watching the sunset with his father while working the fields—a happy, carefree laugh, a laugh that only he knew.
> 
> The sound of his laughter was heartwarming. It reminded her of the crisp apple pie topped with a dubious amount of whipped cream that her mom had once made for her during the spring season, and the breeze she felt across her skin as spring had kicked up—a refreshing laugh, one that blew away all of her worries with a single chuckle. The laugh that was exclusive to her.

And so, the days came and went. They told everyone they’d officially gotten together, starting with Ren and Nora. They watched Ren hand Nora 20 lien, and before they could react he sighed “Nora always makes me bet against her and I always lose money.” They then promptly pulled their best friends and teammates into a group hug. They told Ruby next, and she tackle-hugged him into the eighth dimension, and then decided everyone else would be notified of their relationship status on Facebook. They took a selfie to commemorate (but Ruby photobombed them, Jaune realized all too late), and the week following the sudden update was akin to hell for Jaune. He knew all about how Pyrrha was the model, ideal student, and that he was “just” Jaune Arc, and he’d had to stave off attackers coming for his girlfriend. They’d call him to the school roof and force him to accept a challenge where if he lost he’d have to break up with her.

“What a stupid idea.” He'd said one time, after the bombardment of angry letters in his locker had gotten to his head. “You can’t beat me. You’re wasting your time, but to prove a point, I'll fight you right now.” And so, the first punch was launched. Jaune dodged to the right, and grabbed the attackers arm, sharply pivoted on his heel, and brought the attacker over his shoulder. Then with all of his strength, slammed him into the ground, so hard that he bounced once before rolling over, unconscious. He threw his head to a side, to get his bangs out of his eyes.

“Anyone else want to try me?”

A silence only broken by the sound of the door to the roof opening and closing. Something like this might have worked on him during freshman year, but his training with Ren made him stronger. He’d learned how to defend himself from Ren, and he’d learned how to study and be a good student from Pyrrha. Nora... taught him how to have fun? Never a dull moment with that one around. With his team, he’d learned so much—too much to be put down by some kids who were jealous of his relationship with Pyrrha Nikos. It annoyed him to no end, until Cardin Winchester showed up on the roof one day.

“I could give a damn about Pyrrha, but it’s gross seeing you so happy in the halls. If I beat you here, break up with her.” Cardin said, wasting no time with formalities as soon as Jaune opened the roof door. Jaune appeared with the top two buttons of his button-up shirt unbuttoned, tie loose, and rolled up sleeves. His blazer, in his hand, was draped over his shoulders, and a small smile curled onto his lips before he replied. He didn't know people could be that petty.

“No.” He said flatly. “If that's all you wanted from me, I'll be going now. It's too damn hot to pick a fight with you." He reached his hand for the handle of the door, but—

“You’d do well not to underestimate me!” Cardin yelled, dashing forward and leading with a right. Jaune read the well telegraphed attack and ducked left, well out of the way. As Cardin missed, Jaune tripped him. He stumbled, and before he could react in time, not to mention being off-balance, Jaune struck a heavy blow to the back of Cardin’s head and he slammed into the ground.

“And you’d do well to at least pretend you know what you’re doing in a fight, Cardin.” Jaune mocked, as he once more turned to the door. But to that, he felt a hand on his ankle. It caught him by surprise, and when he was yanked out from a standing position, all he could do was gasp. Cardin jumped on him and pinned his arms down using his knees and, while Jaune was still disoriented, began to wail on Jaune’s face. One, two, three, four… by the time he could comprehend, he’d counted at least eight blows. He couldn’t pull this one over Pyrrha (much less, Ren), and more importantly, he might seriously end up with a concussion. He grinned, and was rewarded with a punch to the mouth.

“What now, Jauney Boy!?” The redhead was having too much fun wailing on a guy who’d nearly defeated him in one blow. As he watched Cardin throw the next right, Jaune dodged his head to the side, then slammed his forehead into Cardin’s. Following that, he wrested an arm out from Cardin’s knee and slammed the heel of his palm into the side of Cardin’s forehead, forcing his whole body off of him. He spat out blood, then wiped the side of his mouth.

“You sure do have a huge ego for someone so pathetic. Really, big telegraphed attacks like that… are you an idiot?” He walked over to where his blazer left his hand, and tossed it over his shoulder. His tie had been loosened and his shirt was unbuttoned to the second button, on top of having a couple of small bloodstains on it. He heard Cardin rustle.

“If you want to keep going, I really won’t stop,” he threatened, voice icy (something he'd learned from Weiss). He wasn’t sure how much of it was hot air.

Cardin merely groaned and slumped over. Jaune looked over at one of Cardin's friends, with an expression that read something like 'Make sure he gets some help.'

Getting home that night was a hassle and a half. For one, he was very certain he had a concussion. If not that, then the migraine gradually coming on could have fooled him. He’d managed to avoid migraines usually, but when they came on they were so painful they were almost incapacitating. He found the walk back to the dorms one of the most daunting of his career. If he was lucky, Pyrrha and Nora wouldn’t be around, but he knew such a thing would be too good to be true. Biting the bullet, he turned the door knob to find the three of them sitting on there. Ren and Nora had been sitting on the same bed, and Pyrrha sat in the chair of Jaune's desk.

The dorm room that Jaune and Ren shared really wasn't too special. A square room, but large enough to feel roomy. In the middle of the room were two beds, marked by their symbols carved into the wood at the forefront of their bedposts, and, of course, their sheets and covers. Ren's was green, with a pink floral pattern on it, and Jaune's was blue, with a yellow sun pattern. In the front of the room, near the door, was a table with a TV on it, which they used for mostly watching sports or the occasional sitcom that caught either of their eye. Jaune had come to really appreciate martial arts movies, and Ren had finally understood why Saturday morning cartoons were so fondly looked upon.

On the other side of the doorway, situated in the corner, was a desk used for computing (Jaune had brought his desktop from home; despite living on a farm, he was quite fond of gaming as a past-time) and all purpose studying. Generally, they didn't study in their dorm; Nora and Pyrrha had a much better setup in their room for studying, and if they ever did study alone, they did so in the library. Jaune was too easily distracted, and Ren tended to get sucked into his pace. In the back corners of the room were their respective dressers, and posters adorned the walls. It was a place he'd grown accustomed to over three years, and it was a place he truly felt at home. 

“I’m back. Sorry I took so long. I didn't notice night fell. I guess a sunset confessional from Cardin is probably the last thing I wanted, though.” Jaune forced a smile, but everyone in the room could see right through it. And then, losing all strength in his whole body, he collapsed.

The next time he woke up, the first image to enter his vision was Pyrrha’s sleeping face. She’d managed to fall asleep on a chair beside his bed (the same one from his desk), and he assumed she was in his dorm all night. It was daytime, presumably around seven AM (growing up on the farm helped his sense of time via reading the sun’s position, albeit rough estimates at best). The rising sun lit up her face, and he was entranced. He sat up properly and pulled his blanket off of himself, then put both of his feet on the ground, to the side Pyrrha was sitting on. She noticed the shift, and yawned herself awake.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Jaune called, realizing he was whispering.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Pyrrha mimed, waving outside the window. He laughed, then winced at the pain that ensued.

“I meant you. You didn’t have to sleep in that chair, you know. I get that you’re worried but I wasn’t hospitalized. I’d rather you not develop back problems at a young age,” he joked.

“And I’d rather you not end up in the hospital because some stupid boys picked a fight with you, but we don’t all get what we want.” Her warm smile betrayed her tone. He laughed at the rebuke.

“In the future, I’ll make sure to be careful of Cardin. It was a cheap shot anyway,” he waved, to add motion to his action. She wasn’t buying it.

“How do you get two black eyes and a busted lip from one cheap shot, Jaune?” Ren came into the dorm room holding a plate with four cups of some wonderful blend of hot tea. He always made the best tea. Nora followed him shortly afterward, and handed cups to Jaune and Pyrrha. A sip was enough to make the headache pounding at his skull dissipate, and he visibly relaxed. Ren smiled, clearly glad that his tea was helpful enough to ease Jaune’s injuries.

“I made the mistake of thinking someone who was face-down on the pavement and not moving as someone no longer capable of fighting.” His voice was dripping with sarcasm. “I won’t be making that mistake again.”

“Jaune you can’t just fight everyone that wants to fight you over your girlfriend! That’s why we have the cops!” For once, Nora was the voice of reason. He wondered if she was worried over his condition. He hadn’t checked himself in the mirror, but he was sure his face was a mess. “Just because you haven’t lost yet doesn’t mean you won’t fight someone with a knife... or a gun!”

“I taught you how to defend yourself, Jaune. While it is comforting to know you aren’t just picking fights left and right, you do not have to meet every challenge. If you decline, and a problem arises, as Nora said, we can simply call the police. You do not have to worry about Pyrrha’s safety, either. She is well capable of taking care of herself, should anyone directly target her.” Ren took a sip of his tea, and took a deep breath. “But more than that, your own body is important. We care about you, Jaune.”

He took a long sip of his tea, and closed his eyes. Ren always got right to the point. For a man of few words, being able to cut right into him was his greatest weapon. “Right. I suppose I have gotten a bit overconfident. Thanks for staying here, guys.” His voice had started to break, but he didn’t notice.

“Anytime,” Ren said, then took his leave. Nora patted him on the back, and gave one of her trademark toothy grins.

“Always here for you, buddy. That’s what friends are for, ain’t it? Ren and I will be staying in my dorm, so enjoy yourselves today, you two!” She grabbed her cup and the plate left by Ren, and ran out the room after him, closing the door.

“Thank you.”

“I should be the one saying that,” Jaune replied. “What for?”

“It was really serious enough to you that you’d fend off that many people… It hasn’t stopped after a whole week, and you’ve missed study time, among other things.”

He shrugged. “It was annoying, honestly. None of them cared about you, none of them knew, Hell, I'm sure half of them didn't even think they could make you happy. They just wanted you for your title, or your body, or just because they thought I wasn’t good enough. I got mad every time I was called to the roof.”

“I wonder how much longer they thought you weren’t good enough after that,” came Pyrrha’s laugh. Jaune flexed his bicep, a muscle that he’d trained for years by now. It hurt. 

“They’ve been coming less frequently. I’m hoping taking down Cardin is the end of it. He’s like, the Bully Overlord!” He moved his arms in a wide motion, as if "Bully Overlord" was a title accompanied by explosions. Pyrrha laughed at his comparison, which made her remember that he’d never stop being that huge dork she fell for in the first place. For that, she was glad. More importantly, he was still the same kid his parents loved to tell her about. He could go through so much change, but still never change. Her heart fluttered, and under her breath she mumbled "I love you." If he caught it, he didn't respond. 

“What is he, the final boss?” She tried to follow his metaphor. She wasn’t much of a gamer, but she’d enjoyed the RPGs he’d played, as she loved to read a good story. She’d sit in on him through a couple of the games he’d played, so she had a basic understanding. He even let her play a couple of times when he got stuck on some of the harder parts. 

“No way. He’s not even close to the final boss,” Jaune grimaced. He slammed his hand down on his fist. “The final bosses are… parents.”

Pyrrha burst into laughter, and Jaune found it contagious and joined in her laughter. She’d laughed so hard she was having trouble breathing, and tears streamed down her face. After a while, she caught her breath, and managed to stop laughing.

"I really love that you laugh at my stupid, simple jokes, but when you laugh so hard it makes me feel like I'm being laughed _at._ " He reached for her face and wiped away a tear. 

“You really think my parents are that scary?” She said, between snickers.

“I think if more than half the school tried to fight me in the first week, your mom may pull a gun on me,” he winced. Laughing still hurt. 

She nodded twice, then scratched her chin. “What about your parents?”

He flashed a smile at her. “They’d been telling me to ask you out for months now. Ma, especially. Looks like Pops thought something similar of Ma when he was my age, so he understood my dilemma. Oh, Ren did too. And so did Nora. Uh, told me to ask you out, that is, not that, they thought something similar of each other before they birthed me, or, uh,” he added, albeit awkwardly. She shut him up by pressing her lips to his, and felt him melt into her. 

“My parents aren’t that scary,” she reassured, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “I’m sure they’d think I’m too good for you or what-have-you, but I doubt they’d pull a gun. Maybe a knife though. And, besides, I doubt they'd say anything to you you haven't already heard before. If worse comes to worst, we can just elope or something.”

Jaune feigned a wince and formed his lips into a toothy frown. “No thank you. We could just… not… tell them,” he suggested. "But eloping doesn't sound like a bad worst-case scenario." 

“My mom already checked Facebook. She knows. But it’s alright, I smoothed things over with her. You should come over for dinner one time.”

Jaune smiled, and returned a kiss to her. “I’d love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ren always knows how to cheer Jaune up. likewise, Jaune always knows how to cheer Ren up. Jaune likes spending the day inside drinking tea and watching shoujo anime, and Ren likes to either go for a hike through a mountain forest or near the shore, depending on the date and time. 
> 
> they are really good friends. a lot of their time is spent in companionable silence. they also have the same taste in music, so that helps.


	3. redress

Above all, embarrassing her parents was, in no way, his most optimal course of action. Ruby had agreed with him, stating that it was the obvious. He was supposed to meet at Pyrrha’s house on Thursday, and Tuesday (currently) he was at Ruby’s house, preparing for the big day. Also, it was movie night. Jaune never missed movie night (he had thought of the name because “movie Tuesdays” sounds like “Ruby Tuesdays,” which was the name of a restaurant from his hometown, and Ruby jumped at the idea). Ruby inhaled a cookie before speaking once more.

“You know Jaune, these are really good…”

“You say that every time, Rubes.”

“No, I mean it! Why don’t you bring her parents some cookies or something? You’re really a surprisingly good Trophy Wife!”

Jaune rolled his eyes when Ruby flashed a toothy grin at him. “What if they don’t like cookies? Also, don't shove titles on me as you please!”

She reached for her pajama pant pocket and pulled out a red-cased android device. “That’s why we call Pyrrha to ask if that’s okay!”

“Hold, on, wait—“ he started, but Ruby had already placed the call. “What if she’s—“

Ruby tossed him her phone and reached for the bucket of popcorn they had made. “She’s never too busy for the great Ruby Rose!”

“But Ruby Rose isn't the one talking to her!" Jaune was exasperated for the first time in a while, through all their years of friendship.

"All the more reason!"

"That's not quite ri—" 

“Hello,” he felt the autumn breeze wash over him, and was momentarily at peace. He loved this sound, the sound of her voice, even over the phone. Ruby made a face at him, to which he took that he had made some face of his own, and he wordlessly apologized. “Ruby?”

He gasped. “Uhh, hey, Pyrrha. About, uh, Thursday? Would it be alright if I brought cookies as a gift? Ruby says my Trophy Wife—I mean, my, uh, housework… that is, my, baking skills, are pretty,” he stammered. She giggled, and he felt at ease. "...good." 

“That would be quite nice of you, Jaune. I’d like to think my parents aren't the kind of people who’d be so callous as to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

He nodded, then realized that she couldn’t see him, so he simply replied “Yeah,” before he realized he was wasting time on her line. “Ruby, do you want to talk to her?”

“I love you, Pyrrha!” she shouted, loud enough so that Pyrrha could hear properly. He rolled his eyes, but laughed anyway.

“Me too. But I definitely love you more than Ruby loves you!” He challenged his shorter friend, who had taken to throwing popcorn at him. She blew a raspberry.

“I love the both of you too. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, laughing. He loved that. His heart was soaring whenever he made her laugh like that. It was like watching the leaves change color and litter the ground. It reminded him of when he was a kid, his sisters taught him how to enjoy raking the leaves, by piling them high and jumping in them. It was a simple joy.

“Yeah. Later,” he said, and hung up the phone. His momentary peace was disturbed as he was pelted in the face by a half-eaten cookie. He fell over, feigning injury. Ruby chortled, and he felt satisfied.

“I’m surprised you didn’t get into an argument about who was going to hang up first.”

“Oh, that’s easy, me. I don’t have time to mess around and waste time on a pointless discussion like that,” he sighed. “And it’s so embarrassing, too… If I got caught by one of my sisters? Yikes.”

Ruby giggled mischievously. “If I caught you doing that I’d make you help with our annual spring cleaning!”

Jaune sighed. “Don’t I already help with that? And… doesn’t that mean you’re just looking to blackmail me?” He sat up straight, and finished eating the cookie thrown at him, then started talking, mouthful of cookie. “If you want my help with something, just ask. That’s how we are, ain’t it?”

“But won’t you be busy with Pyrrha? I’m gonna miss our Satur-dates and stuff…”

Jaune’s expression lightened, as he stood up and walked over to Ruby. “The hell’re you sayin’? If bein’ with Pyrrha meant I couldn’t hang out with you the same as we used to, I wouldn’t have asked her out!” He pulled her into a noogie, catching her neck in the pit of his elbow. She tapped on his arm.

“I give, I give! Aaaah,” she panted. After regaining her breath, she continued. “Do you mean that, Jaune?”

He shrugged. “Ain’t much in the whole world I value as much as I do you. So, get whatever stupid ideas you have about me abandoning you just because I have a girlfriend out of your head right now. While it is true I won’t have enough time to come visit on a dime anymore, I’ll always make time for you. That’s what friends are for. Satur-dates ain't goin' nowhere, sweetheart.”

She visibly brightened, and prepared to tackle-hug him. She was very fond of that technique. He took a stance he had seen during one of his and Ren’s martial arts movie binges, and prepared to take the hit.

It was not very effective.

They tumbled to the ground laughing, making a mess of the place by spilling popcorn, chips, drinks, and candy all over the living room, tumbling over furniture thanks to Jaune’s weight (It was mostly muscle; she suspected that by the time senior year was over, he and Ren would earn the most attractive male medals). They decided to forego the movie entirely, and spent the rest of the night talking and playing video games like usual. She fell asleep as he was in the middle of recanting a tale from his childhood.

“And that’s when I took the bottle of ketchup, which was actually mustard, an—Rubes,” he smiled. He lifted her bridal style, and set her in her bed, pulling the cover over her. Returning to the living room, and seeing the mess left by the two of them, he sighed, but quickly smiled. He was patted on the back and a familiar voice started to speak. He didn’t need to turn around to recognize it.

“I see the two of you are as destructive as ever,” the voice spoke, a grin sneaking onto it’s face.

“Yeah… something like that. Honestly, I’m not sure if she passes out before we can clean the mess on purpose or not,” he found himself groan. The voice laughed, then found it’s way to a broom and dustpan.

“Fret not, young Arc. I shall help, just this once.”

“You mean, you have something you want to talk to me about, young Xiao-Long?”

Yang pulled her aviators up to rest on the top of her head, then flashed a toothy smile. “Yeah… something like that.”

And, so they did just that. After spending a summer vacation with him, she saw all the good in him. She would point out the flaws she saw in his character, and he would reciprocate. As Ruby’s best friend, he was there quite frequently, and she had to make sure he wasn’t doing anything to hurt her, or anything... inappropriate. At a point, something clicked, and Yang decided to confide in him about boys, to which he replied, “Tell me about it,” and they had been friends since. He was real easy to talk to, and somehow knew what issues were and weren’t okay to pry into. He was able to make her admit things to herself she had been subconsciously dodging. He attributed his ability to “see through her” to her kinship with Ruby, but she suspected it was deeper than that. Regardless, she couldn’t deny that he was helpful to her growth as a person, so she respected him for that.

“You’re more than meets the eye, y’know?”

Jaune’s face gave way to a bashful smile. “Ah, thanks. I don’t really think so, but I have certainly come a long way,” he said, sweeping up M&Ms into a dustpan.

“I’m serious! I never would have dreamed of trusting someone who looked like you do!” She picked up the bucket of popcorn and dumped what little it still contained into the trash, before setting the bucket in the sink. “But, well, maybe not so much anymore. That summer… I could have confused your arms for pool noodles, but you look pretty good in that tank top. Could do without the bunny on it, though.”

“Reminds me of Pyrrha. I still can’t believe she was on a cereal box. Also, it’s adorable!” He countered, lifting a dustpan full of snacks into the garbage can nearby. She punched him in the arm playfully.

“You damn nerd. But, well, that is pretty radical. I'd love it if my girlfriend were on the cover of a cereal box.”

“Maybe we can get Blake on the cover of a tuna can or something,” Jaune smirked, as they continued to clean as they conversed.

“I don't eat tuna, plus, I would have to get her to go out with me first. Kind of hard to do when Sun is all over her.”

Jaune scratched his chin for a moment. “Maybe a more direct approach is the way to go.”

“Like how?”

“Y’know, like, invite her to a library or somewhere quiet and ask her out.”

Yang busted into laughter. “You think that’ll work?”

“You’ve taken all the necessary steps to build your relationship. Of course, there’s the issue of the awkward tension that would ensue after if she were to say no, but I think it’s the only way to get closure.”

“And that’s why you bitched to Ruby about not wanting to ask Pyrrha out, right?” Yang retorted, realizing her comeback was a little bit hotter than she intended.

“That’s different, Yang. You’re… Yang Xiao-Long. You’re the very image of self-confidence, to me. I’m not like that, Yang. If I lost Pyrrha, my second biggest supporter, I’d find myself in an awful slump. And, I’m sure that Blake is important to you as well, and I sure as hell don’t mean to undermine you, but I’m sure that you wouldn’t let yourself lose something so important. I can find the confidence to stand up to Cardin, and stand up to people I don’t know, but I’m virtually defenseless against her. I’d shut down. I don’t want to lose anything else important. Not again.”

Yang was silent for a moment, taking in the gravity of what he said. She opened her mouth, but he cut her off, sitting the couch upright once again. “Sorry, I guess. I didn’t mean to impose my personal idea of you onto you, and I may have said something careless.”

“Don’t sweat it. That’s why you’re around. It’s true that I’m not you, and I could probably say something along the lines of ‘You win some, you lose some,’ and not risk my friendship with Blake, so you’re right. It’d hurt, but losing a friend would hurt worse. But, you are right that you did impose some of your perceptions of me onto me. I’m not that tough. I’m weak on the inside, just like you. Maybe we have a lot more in common than I thought.”

He nodded a ‘Sorry,’ and she kept going. “Regardless, I didn’t mean to say, uh… what I did. I didn’t mean for it to sound so rude.”

He shrugged. “I’m kind of used to it. What’s got you so tense? Usually you’d laugh it off… you’re making me nervous.”

She blinked a couple of times, as if lost in thought. “Nothing, just… I’ve been thinking a lot more recently. ‘Go with the flow,’ was my philosophy up until now, but even you’re working hard, preparing for college. I feel kind of bad for just riding the waves.”

“I’d much rather be riding the waves instead of this bull. I hate studying. I don’t really want to meet Pyrrha’s parents. I was planning on joining the military before I asked Pyrrha out.”

“For real?” Yang was surprised.

“Yeah. I wanted to get away from it all. Fortunately, I have an anchor.”

"What do you mean?" Yang asked, perplexed.

"I don't really want to join the military either," he managed a weak laugh. "The only thing keeping me going at this point is the desire to not let down my girlfriend... though, I doubt there's much I could do within the law to disappoint her. Anyhow, if I want to stay with her, this is the price." 

"You could always elope!" 

"Pyrrha said something like that, too, believe it or not. She's a real rebel." 

“I suppose you're not the only one getting anchored, huh?" 

“Ren is an absolute mess during finals week. You’d never guess. Fortunately, Pyrrha somehow keeps Nora in check. I don’t think I could handle both. Plus there's Ruby, and you every so often. Hell, even Weiss has called on me for help at times.” He laughed bashfully, sitting down on the couch after having finished cleaning. "Guess I'm more important than I give myself credit for, eh?" 

“I’ll handle the dishes,” Yang said. “Thanks for coming over, by the way.”

Jaune wiped a bead of sweat away from his eyes. “Don’t mention it.”

“No, seriously. Ruby has been in a slump ever since you started dating Pyrrha. She was all like—“

“’Oh no, Jaune will stop hanging out with me because I’m not his cool girlfriend,’ right?”

“Exactly. So, thanks.”

“Uh, no problem. I’m glad to get that misconception out of her head, most importantly. I wouldn’t want her thinking I don’t have any time for her. Though my amount of general free time has dwindled due to having to work harder than I’ve ever had to before... where did all that damn zeal run off to?” he sighed. “Still, I know what it’s like when someone says they want to be with you, but refuses to make time. It hurts like Hell.”

Yang chirped an agreement. “Boys really are the worst.”

Jaune let out a hearty laugh. “Tell me about it. I’m thinking about pretending I never liked dudes in the first place.”

“Me too,” she said, hanging up the last glass left in the sink. “But, nah. One look at Lie Ren and it all comes back.”

Jaune gave a smug grin. “You should see him after a shower.”

“Yeah, right, as if you’ve s—oh my God you’re best friends with him.” Yang hung up the drying towel and jumped over the back of the couch to sit next to Jaune.

“Yup. I’ll say he’s entirely the reason you think I look good in a tank-top. He’s been teaching me a bit of a lot of martial arts, and we work out together every day. He doesn’t seem to put on muscle as easily as I do, though he’s more of a technical fighter than a brute type, like me.” He waved his hand, to dismiss his statement. “Details.”

“Dad’s been teaching me how to fight, actually. Said I might need it, in case, well… you know how it is with women in this day and age. So, I get what you mean.”

Jaune gave a sad, understanding nod. “Yeah.”

“I could put in a good word for you?”

“I doubt I need it, but I appreciate the thought. And, anyway, Ren’s training is more than sufficient for me. I can teach you the basics of anything he taught me… but, at this point, we’re pretty much learning together. He says he wants to teach more than one or two disciplines of martial arts before opening his own school, but, fortunately, he's got a lot of time to learn. Or, maybe unfortunately, depending on how you look at it. Degrees are a real pain.”

Yang laughed. “I appreciate it, but I think Dad’d kill me if he found out I was learning from someone else.”

Jaune stood up, and cracked his neck, then his shoulders. “I should get going. Good talk, Yang.”

“You too. If things go sour with Pyrrha, I’ll take you on a date sometime,” she winked at him.

“You know my track record. You may regret saying that," he said, returning a wink of his own. 

“Nah. I only promised you one. At least you’re easy on the eyes.”

He blushed. He wasn’t aware if it was flattery or just encouragement. His blush gave way to a small, genuine smile. "Yeah, you're right. And... thanks, Yang."

“Anytime, blondie. Oh, but, don’t worry. I don’t think Pyrrha would let you go.”

He laughed, and made his way out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey its Yang! i wanted to try writing this relationship to get a feel for how i think they'd interact, and i can say i certainly had a lot of fun with it! Yang has always been super radical to me, with her whole aesthetic and whatnot.  
> my headcanon is that Jaune isn't really the best with words, and while it's certainly not the same as translating a whole different language, some phrases don't translate well, so he forgoes trying not to talk in southern dialect to give people advice. he doesn't realize he's doing it, and it's become endearing among their shared teams. he has no actual clue.


End file.
